cannabisnews.com: Mendocino Health Official Applauds State ID Law Mendocino Health Official Applauds State ID Law Posted by CN Staff on October 15, 2003 at 20:48:48 PT By Ucilia Wang, Staff Writer Source: Press Democrat A voluntary ID card program for users of medical marijuana could help California cities and counties better enforce the state's 7-year-old law on legal marijuana use, a Mendocino County health official said Monday.Legislation signed into law Sunday by outgoing Gov. Gray Davis is the first to address problems that local government agencies have had in enforcing Proposition 215. The legislation requires the state Department of Health Services to establish the ID card program, which will be administered by county health departments or other local agencies. The state will provide cardholder information to law enforcement agencies via a 24-hour hot line and, eventually, an Internet-based system."Anything that would give more uniformity in applying the state law is good," said Dr. Marvin Trotter, Mendocino County's public health officer. "It's a very difficult situation for law enforcement to know who is first and what's second."Proposition 215, approved by voters in 1996, says simply that people who have a doctor's recommendation to ease illnesses with marijuana have the right to possess and use pot without facing prosecution.But such questions as how much marijuana and plants a person can have and how law enforcement authorities can distinguish legitimate patients from illegal drug users have led to lawsuits.The problems prompted some counties and cities, including Sonoma and Mendocino counties, to adopt their own guidelines and to issue cards.Although the new law aims to clarify some issues, its reach still may be limited because the ID card program is voluntary. The new law specifically says people don't need ID cards to be covered by Proposition 215.The legislation also doesn't settle perhaps the most controversial issue regarding how much of it users and caregivers can legally possess.The new law says either could have 8 ounces of pot and six mature or 12 immature plants. But counties and cities can raise the limits and physicians can recommend a greater amount."It's going to generate more litigation to clarify what it means," Dale Gieringer, coordinator of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Law, said in San Francisco. "Prop. 215 has set no limits."Gieringer, who was on a task force that helped draft the new legislation, said the state should hold public hearings and consult with medical experts before deciding on the amount of pot people can legally possess for medical use.In Sonoma County, each patient can cultivate up to 99 plants and own 3 pounds of marijuana. In Mendocino County, the rules are 25 plants and 2 pounds.The new legislation doesn't authorize medical marijuana use in or near schools or at workplaces.Complete Title: Mendocino Health Official Applauds State ID Law on Medical Marijuana Use Source: Press Democrat, The (CA)Author: Ucilia Wang, Staff WriterPublished: October 14, 2003Copyright: 2003 The Press DemocratContact: letters pressdemo.comWebsite: http://www.pressdemo.com/Related Articles & Web Site:California NORMLhttp://www.canorml.org/County Officials Re-evaluate Marijuana Policies http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17586.shtmlState Sets Marijuana Standardshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17583.shtmlDavis Signs Anti Prop 215 Medical Marijuana Law http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17569.shtmlFoes Protest Limits on Medical Pothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17561.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #1 posted by delariand on October 15, 2003 at 20:52:29 PT mixed signals? What mixed signals are these? The police's primary purpose is to protect and serve the people, the people's will has been law since 1996. What's murky about allowing the sick to grow and use cannabis for their health? [ Post Comment ] Post Comment